The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Colocasia commonly known as the taro plant or elephant ears. Colocasia is grown as a food crop or for use as an ornamental for container or the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Colocasia esculenta and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘BLUE HAWAII’. ‘BLUE HAWAII’ is one of is one of five co-pending applications by the inventor relating to new cultivars of Colocasia. The other four co-pending applications are titled Colocasia plant named ‘Hawaiian Eye’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 12/006,580), Colocasia plant named ‘Hilo Bay’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 12/006,474), Colocasia plant named, ‘Diamond Head’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 12/006,579), and Colocasia plant named ‘Pineapple Princess’ (U.S. application Ser. No. 12/006,581).
Colocasia is a tuberous rooted perennial which is native to tropical Asia and Polynesia. It grows to 1.5-2 m in height from starchy tubers. The leaves of Colocasia are heart-shaped and very large in size. The tuberous roots are cooked and eaten as a starchy staple in many tropical areas. It is also grown as ornamental plants for the landscape in warmer climates or as a container plant in colder areas.
The new Colocasia variety named ‘BLUE HAWAII’ is the product of a formal breeding program carried out in a cultivated area in Kula, Hi. The purpose of the breeding program is to develop new commercial varieties by combining attributes not found in currently commercially available varieties.
‘BLUE HAWAII’ is a seedling selection from the controlled pollination between the female parent breeding line ‘2001-52’ (not patented) and male parent breeding line ‘2002-41’ (not patented). Initially designated as ‘2005-24’, ‘BLUE HAWAII’ was derived from a single plant selected in 2005.
The new variety ‘BLUE HAWAII’ has large green colored matte finish leaves with prominent bluish-purple colored venation and a bluish-purple undulating leaf margin. ‘BLUE HAWAII’ produces uniform dark burgundy colored petioles when mature; young petioles are green to light burgundy in color. The leaves are ⅓ to ½ times larger than its female and male parents. The male parent, ‘2002-41’, exhibits greenish-purple colored leaves with a matte finish a smooth margin, and light purple venation. The petioles are dark purple in color with a matte finish. The female parent, ‘2001-52’ exhibits smaller violet leaves with a purple spot on the upper leaf surface at the point of leaf and petiole attachment and an undulating margin. The petioles are of a dark purple in color. In these aspects, this new variety differs from its parents.
The closest comparison variety known to the inventor is ‘Violet Stem’ (not patented), its closest commercial variety. ‘BLUE HAWAII’ produces large green colored matte finish leaves with prominent bluish-purple colored venation and a bluish-purple undulating leaf margin compared to ‘Violet Stem’ that produces long green leaves with a slight hazy purple cast. ‘BLUE HAWAII’ produces uniform semi-glossy, dark burgundy colored petioles when mature compared with the deep purple colored petioles of ‘Violet Stem’. ‘BLUE HAWAII’ produces secondary lateral shoots that are closely attached to the mother plant as compared with ‘Fontanesii’ (not patented) that produces secondary lateral shoots on long stolons.
The most commonly employed means of asexual propagation of the genus Colocasia is the excision and replanting of a plant shoot which consists of the apical 1 cm-2 cm portion of the plant corm with the attached basal 15 cm-20 cm portion of the petiole. In regions of the world where Colocasia is grown, this plant shoot is known as a “huli”, and the means of propagation is known as “huli propagation”. Asexual propagation of hulis of ‘BLUE HAWAII’ began in 2005 in Hawaii by the inventor using huli propagation whereby the apical shoots are separated from the plant by cutting the shoot at the top of the corm immediately above the newest leaf scar and planted. Evaluation in field and pot studies have shown the unique features of ‘BLUE HAWAII’ to be stable, uniform, and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.